الرئيسية
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — Four years after his goals helped turn Spain
from perennial underachievers into European champions, star striker
David Villa could end up watching the 2012 European Championship from
home after breaking his left leg on Thursday.
Villa will be
sidelined for up to five months, dealing Barcelona a major blow in its
battle with Real Madrid for the Spanish league title and putting his
place at Euro 2012 in serious jeopardy.
Villa broke the tibia in
his left leg when challenging for the ball during Barcelona's 4-0 win
over Al Sadd in the Club World Cup semifinals, and the Spanish champions
said he will be flown back to Barcelona for surgery.
The injury
means Villa will be unlikely to play again before the last few games of
the season, and could weaken Spain's chances of defending its European
title in June.
Spain's all-time leading scorer was tangling with
two defenders in the 37th minute when he landed awkwardly. He
immediately fell to the ground and called for help, before being carried
off the pitch on a stretcher.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque was
devastated by news of the injury to the man who was the team's top
scorer with five goals during its 2010 World Cup triumph. While the
30-year-old forward is no longer a certain starter for Barcelona, he
remains an integral part of the national lineup and would have been
guaranteed a place in the Euro 2012 side in Poland and Ukraine.
"The
news is very bad," Del Bosque was quoted as saying by Spanish news
agency Europa Press. "It's a great misfortune, for him above all since
he is the injured one, and looking ahead to (Euro 2012), of course this
is very bad news.
from perennial underachievers into European champions, star striker
David Villa could end up watching the 2012 European Championship from
home after breaking his left leg on Thursday.
Villa will be
sidelined for up to five months, dealing Barcelona a major blow in its
battle with Real Madrid for the Spanish league title and putting his
place at Euro 2012 in serious jeopardy.
Villa broke the tibia in
his left leg when challenging for the ball during Barcelona's 4-0 win
over Al Sadd in the Club World Cup semifinals, and the Spanish champions
said he will be flown back to Barcelona for surgery.
The injury
means Villa will be unlikely to play again before the last few games of
the season, and could weaken Spain's chances of defending its European
title in June.
Spain's all-time leading scorer was tangling with
two defenders in the 37th minute when he landed awkwardly. He
immediately fell to the ground and called for help, before being carried
off the pitch on a stretcher.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque was
devastated by news of the injury to the man who was the team's top
scorer with five goals during its 2010 World Cup triumph. While the
30-year-old forward is no longer a certain starter for Barcelona, he
remains an integral part of the national lineup and would have been
guaranteed a place in the Euro 2012 side in Poland and Ukraine.
"The
news is very bad," Del Bosque was quoted as saying by Spanish news
agency Europa Press. "It's a great misfortune, for him above all since
he is the injured one, and looking ahead to (Euro 2012), of course this
is very bad news.